Kent's cases 86: Illustrations of complementary relation ship. Pulsatilla Carbo vegetabilis Stannum metallicum Menstrual headache in the occiput.

Clique aqui!

Pain pressing, bursting, violent; < motion, turning head, bending head
back; < lying on right side; > standing or sitting. Must lie on left side or
back. Face pale, cold and dry, haggard. Eyes wide open. Winking < the
pain in the back of head.
Eyes seem to be forcibly held open.
Drawing or tension in eyes.
Wild look on the face.
Feet icy cold to knees.
This patient usually menstruated copiously bright red.
She took Puls. some weeks ago for some nervous symptoms.
At the next period the flow was scanty. black and putrid.
Carb. V. 500 cured the headache at once and improved the general state.
187
This case serves to show how it is that a partially indicated remedy seems
to cure many symptoms, but leaves the patient's condition in confusion; and
also how it is when the real complementary remedy follows.
In the above case Carbo. v. complemented Puls. and left the case in a good
state of order.
Symptoms must be treated conservatively, must be nursed so that the
complex of symptoms will be a good index to the next required medicine.
A hard, loose cough appeared after a long study, to call for Puls., but after
the remedy was given it was seen that it had only created confusion, as the
patient was losing, growing weaker, having sweats, and the loose cough
had become dry and most distressing.
Stann. cured promptly, yet it could not be made out from the first study.
This is another instance given to show the antidotal relation as well as the
complementary.
It often requires two remedies given in this way to cure. The first only
seems to arouse. If the patient is left after the first remedy, or if he quits his
doctor at that moment, or if his doctor be too ignorant to grasp the
situation, I have no doubt of fatal termination. It is a critical time and must
be known at once and duly met.
188
Case 87
Infantile paralysis.
Causticum

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Nov. 25, 1910. R. P., 9 years of age.
Sickness began 12th of Aug.: fever, followed by paralysis. Paralysis left
deltoid;
(Caust. cm.) left arm and leg.
These limbs jerk in sleep and waken her. Chilliness; complains much of
cold. Feet burning sensation; puts them out of bed. "Never saw a more
restless child," mother says.
Excited when playing and hands are constantly in motion. Tearful when
cannot have her own way. Tired from walking any distance.
Caust. 10m.
No further treatment. Child reported cured.
189
Case 88
Injury to head.
Arnica montana
Tellurium

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A number of years ago in one of my own families, a family I had been in
the habit of prescribing for, a little boy about four years of age, while
sliding down the banisters one day, lost his hold and came down pretty fast,
striking his head on the tiled floor.
I was absent when sent for and a surgeon living near me was called in haste
and remained in attendance, as they did not like to stop him, so that I did
not see the case for two or three days.
Immediately after the fall the child became unconscious and remained so.
A clear white watery discharge started from the ear, and this, the surgeon
said, was cerebro-spinal fluid which was pouring from the fracture in the
base of the skull that lead to the ear; that was his opinion.
The child remained unconscious and the surgeon gave no hope for
recovery, saying that the child would surely die.
Finally I was sent for and found the child very pale, unconscious, with
stertorous breathing, and that discharge was flowing, drip-dripping like
clear water from the ear in to the pillow, and the water that was flowing out
of the ear (I do not say where it came from) was forming little vesicles.
It seemed to be acrid enough to form vesicles. The ear was red, and
wherever the discharge came in contact with the skin the part became red.
That was all there was about it. I could not see any more. My first thought
was to give Arnica. But I did not.
I gave him one dose of Tellurium.
190
In two hours the child vomited. That discharge gradually ceased, recovery
took place and in two weeks the child was perfectly well.
What did the Tellurium have to do with it?
There was a discharge from an injury.
Tellurium without any injury produces just such a discharge as that, and we
know that the Tellurium discharge is not cerebro-spinal fluid, at least we
have no reason to suppose it is.
The first action of the remedy I observed was the child's vomiting, showing
reaction. It is laid down in all the books that after concussion if vomiting
takes place it is considered a reaction and the case will probably recover.
191
Case 89
Involuntary stools-phosphorus.
Belladonna
Phosphorus

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A lad eight years of age had been treated allopathically for five years,
without any benefits, for losing his urine and stools in his pants.
His mother informed me that she has often whipped him, thinking that he
could prevent it. When she would go for the whip he would seem to be
worse, and immediately soil himself from the fright.
The stool passes without any warning, or it comes on too soon for him to
accommodate himself. It seldom occurs at night or in the forenoon, but in
the afternoon he passes several stools and always passes urine with stools.
He takes cold easily, and when he gets a cold he has a high fever and
delirium, and sometimes becomes croupy. The color of the stool is brown
and the smell is very offensive. Urine stains the linen dark brown and has a
strong smell.
For the choice of remedy:
Involuntary stools and urine: Acon., Ars., Bell., Bry., Calc., Camph.,
Carbo-v., China, Cina, Colch., Con., Dig., Hyos., Laur., Mosch., Mur-ac.,
Nat-m., Phos., Phos-ac., Puls., Rhus-t., Sec., Sulph., Verat.
The afternoon aggravation is characteristic of Bell.
Every time the child takes cold he had a high fever, and delirium, is also
characteristic of Bell.
The general features of the case being covered by Bell., he was given two
powders 4m, with instructions to watch and make a fuller report of his
symptoms.
192
One month after taking the medicine, the mother writes:
"My son is very much better, but not entirely cured. He had had only two
involuntary stools since taking the medicine, both between 12 m., and 4 p.
m. He urinates involuntarily two and three times every afternoon, between
2 and 5.
Never in the morning or in the night. He says he had not the slightest desire
until he begins to pass stool, and then he cannot control himself, when he
does feel an inclination he cannot control himself, but is obliged to go at
once.
His urine stains his clothes a reddish brown and is very offensive. He says
when he has an involuntary stool he has a pain start from the base of the
spinal column and run up his back to the brain, in top of his head, and
remains there f or an hour. He almost always urinates with his stools, and
only has the above pain when the stool alone occurs."
The peculiar pain running up the back is a symptom characteristic of Phos.,
and as that is the most peculiar symptom it was taken as the guiding
symptom of the case. (See Gregg's Illustrated Repertory).
"Darting pains, during stool, from the os coccygis through the spine as far
as the vertex, the head being drawn backward by it" page 77, plate 5.
Phos. also had paralysis of the sphincter ani. (Bell., Gels., Hyos., Graph.,
and others.)
Phos. had a brown stool, and it is offensive. It has also aggravation from
excitement and fright. Looking over the first symptoms with many others,
the involuntary stool and urine.
The child takes cold easily, and it settles in the respiratory apparatus, which
also strengthens the choice. The P. m. agg. I cannot find under Phos., but so
small a condition cannot contra-indicate the remedy, in view of the fact that
none of the other remedies correspond to the peculiar symptoms so well as
Phos.
Phos., 5m., one dose at night, cured the case promptly.
193
Case 90
Kali patients. Stomach trouble.
Kalium bichromicum

Clique aqui!

Dr. A. H. A., thirty-six years old, has had stomach trouble for six or eight
months.
A specialist called it "Ulcer of the stomach." He has had the stomach
washed out, and has taken much strong medicine, and now appears
hopeless, as no progress has been made.
Nov. 2, 1902.
Aversion to breakfast-(with nausea). Weakness in morning before
breakfast. Sometimes before lunch. Stomach-sinking sensation before
breakfast. (Kali-bi.)
No thirst. Sternum-sore sensation as if deep within; < from exertion (Kali-
bi.)
Neck-muscular soreness. Trachea-sensation as of a string pulling, when
clearing the larynx. Chilly patient-extremely sensitive to cold. > when at
rest.
Constipation last summer, not now. Feet perspire; Cold at nights when
going to bed.
Sensitive to drafts. "Catches cold" easily; Affects nose and throat. Scalp-
dandruff.
Kali-bi. 10m.
Nov. 16.
Improved generally. Sternum-some soreness. Larynx-tightness. Sac. lac.
194
Nov. 30. Improved.
Neck-sensation of cord drawn down on r. side to chest. Sac. lac.
Dec. 14. Improvement-general; Chest and sternum. Nose and throat trouble
when wakens in morning. Soreness when swallows.
Kali-bi. 10m.
Jan. 25 and Mar. 3, 1913. Kali-bi. 50m. Reported from time to time
improved.
He is now a robust man with no symtoms and he is a great friend of homeopathy.